Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Cowboys have more to see than Ezekiel Elliott vs. Seahawks

SEATTLE -- Years from now, maybe Thursday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks will be remembered as the Dallas Cowboys debut of Ezekiel Elliott.

While all of the attention will be on Elliot, the Cowboys’ first-round pick, there will plenty of other things to watch from the Dallas perspective:

Benson Mayowa: He started his career with the Seahawks in 2013 but saw most of his playing time with the Oakland Raiders in 2014 and ’15 before signing with the Cowboys as a restricted free agent this offseason. He has just two sacks in his career but projects to be the Cowboys’ starting right defensive end. He missed the first two preseason games because of offseason knee surgery that led to him opening training camp on the physically unable to perform list. He has practiced the last two weeks and will have the chance to show he can rush the passer. He has shown in limited practice that he can play with strength and has the ability to gain the edge. He will have to be patient as he goes after Russell Wilson, who can be elusive if defensive ends over-commit.

Terrance Williams: The last time he visited Seattle, in 2014, he had a crucial 23-yard catch to convert on a third-and-20 in a confidence-building Cowboys win. With Dez Bryant out with a concussion, Williams will move into the No. 1 receiver role, at least for a night. That didn’t go so well for him last year when Bryant was lost to a broken right foot, but it wasn’t all Williams’ fault. He had a career high in catches and yards but was victimized in part by subpar quarterback play. Tony Romo is playing tonight, so Williams will have opportunities to make some plays. If he can, that would not only boost his confidence but give the Cowboys another threat when Bryant returns.

Maliek Collins: The third-round pick will be making his debut, just like Elliott. He missed the early part of training camp recovering from a broken foot but has been able to practice without any issues. With Tyrone Crawford home because of a concussion, Collins will get a lot of playing time, even if he won’t start. The Cowboys believed Collins would be able to contribute right away as a rookie, and had the idea of possibly moving Crawford to defensive end with the suspensions of DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory. Collins’ foot injury took care of that thought, but he can still be a big part of the rotation. However, he needs to show something tonight. The Cowboys preach to their linemen to attack, but that is something that could hurt them vs. Wilson if they are too aggressive.

Gavin Escobar: He has made a terrific recovery from a torn Achilles suffered in Week 16 last season, but he needs to show he can produce on the field. He is entering the final year of his contract and will be playing for his future, if not with the Cowboys, then somewhere. With James Hanna a candidate to start the year on the PUP list after knee surgery that will cost him the first six games, Escobar finds himself in a battle with second-year tight end Geoff Swaim to be Jason Witten’s running mate.

Chris Jones: Why is a punter on this list? Well, he had a punt blocked in both 2012 and 2014 in regular-season meetings with the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. With this being the preseason game that's most like a regular-season contest, teams aren’t afraid to be aggressive on special teams. This will be a good test for Jones, who must get his punts off quickly, and the punt coverage team.

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